European center-right leader Weber backs Hungary censure motion

STRASBOURG — Manfred Weber, leader of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, said Tuesday he will vote for a motion declaring Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government is at risk of breaching core EU values — but will give other members of the center-right group a free vote.

"I will vote in favor of Article 7," Weber said after a meeting with EPP members including Orbán, referring to the procedure that can lead to a member country losing its voting rights inside the EU. "I think we had enough dialogue."

Members of the European Parliament will vote Wednesday on a report drafted by Dutch Green MEP Judith Sargentini, which highlights concerns about the independence of the judiciary, academic freedom, corruption, freedom of expression, and the rights of migrants in Hungary, among other issues.

If the report gets a two-thirds majority, MEPs will ask the Council of the EU to determine whether Hungary is at "clear risk of a serious breach" by Hungary of the EU's core values.

The Article 7 procedure could ultimately lead to Hungary being stripped of its voting rights in the Council. That outcome is unlikely as it would require the support of all other EU member countries. But triggering the process would put a stain on Hungary's international reputation and make it difficult for EPP leaders to keep Orbán's Fidesz party in their ranks.

At a meeting of EPP members of the Parliament on Tuesday evening, Orbán defended his record in the face of strong criticism.

"Everybody was very emotional," an EPP official said.

Gunnar Hökmark, a Swedish EPP MEP, said: "Orbán just had had a tough hour. Everyone was critical. He seemed disoriented and a bit aggressive."

Until now, Weber and other EPP leaders have sought to find compromises to keep Fidesz in the group, despite pressure from more liberal members to kick it out.

However, Orbán made clear in a speech to the Parliament on Tuesday and in a press conference afterwards that he would not back down on controversial laws, widely viewed as crackdowns on NGOs and the Central European University in Budapest. He also said he did not want to leave the EPP.

Weber's stance means the resolution is likely to gain the required two-thirds support in Parliament. Liberals and Socialists have said publicly they will vote in favor and EPP moderates from northern European countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland as well as Belgium and Luxembourg have signaled they will back the motion. EPP MEPs from countries including Austria, Portugal and Greece are also expected to vote in favor.

Many of those national contingents have long regarded the actions of Orbán’s government as anathema to European values and incompatible with membership of their parliamentary group.

MEPs expected to vote against the report include the Tory-led European Conservatives and Reformists and the far-right parties in the Parliament. One of the few EPP leaders who has said publicly his MEPs will vote against the text is Silvio Berlusconi, the leader of Forza Italia. Some among France's Les Républicains might also oppose it.

Franck Proust, a French MEP and head of the French delegation of the EPP, said he was inclined to vote against the Sargentini report. “Ostracizing Orbán will only reinforce extremists,” said Proust. “I see that Orbán has been elected with 49 percent of the votes, with a record turnout. When you talk about dictatorship, no one was forced to go vote.”

Hungary, he also said, is the only place “where the extreme right doesn’t exist.”

In June, a committee of MEPs agreed by 37 votes to 19 to back the Sargentini resolution.

Pragmatic Sceptic

Geza K

This is not a European People’s Party. They should be there.
Bye bye herr Weber ……
:-)))

Posted on 9/11/18 | 9:47 PM CET

maciek maciek

What else could one expect from a commie Merkel’s poodle?

Posted on 9/11/18 | 9:47 PM CET

glasspix 1

Merkel had bought him with her endorsement for the Commission’s presidency, he is just paying back the favour. He does not really have an opinion, and its probably for the best.
People are watching these decadent little power hungry bureaucrats, and will make their own conclusions.

Posted on 9/11/18 | 9:59 PM CET

Walter E. Kurtz

Yep. Guess whose speech will get like 1 million views on Youtube until the EU elections.

Posted on 9/11/18 | 10:31 PM CET

Nutella Loves You

Article admits there is no realistic substantial effect of this, aside possibly removing Fidesz from EPP, the political repurcussions of which they don’t seem interested in pondering (i.e. Fidesz will join new group). Hungary will not be ejected or suspended in EU for simple matter it requires unanimity. The trajectory here is more about “Super EU” developing that leaves remainder of EU to wither while resources are diverted to core, rather than EU budget, but Fidesz/EPP break-up is tangential to that process.

What is more unsettling is the feigned ignorance to adjacent issues which are just as much if not more in conflict with “liberal values”. Hungarian liberal opposition in fact has happily flirted with fascist Jobbik, who EU liberals no longer mention amidst their denunciations of Fidesz, they happily ally with fascists simply to score points against Fidesz. Who certainly aren’t saints, but what is their crimes? Corruption? Oh, that could never exist in core liberal EU, right? Impeding foreign backed NGOs, etc. Oh, that could never happen in core liberal EU… land of denouncing Russian media. Look at Bulgaria, fascist United Patriots was once denounced by EU liberals for fascism and “pro Russian tendencies”. Until they became needed for government majority to keep out Socialist party with “pro Russian policy”.

So no ideas are being defended here, other than allegiance to Core EU power politics, Core EU is happy to back over fascists (even ones it previously denounced) when it serves their interests, look at Ukraine. Look at backing of jihadis in middle east. Have these EU liberals denounced the recently stabbed Brazilian fascist Bolsonaro, who openly praises torture and promises to kill 30k political opponents if he gains power? Less spectacularly, have they ever criticized near-absolute single party rule Japan, certainly no less corrupt than Hungary? Demonizing Fidesz and Orban is a distraction vs. this reality, it is a way to pose as virtuous when their other policies are even more dirty.

Posted on 9/11/18 | 11:16 PM CET

Darius Na

I see Manfred took a break from polishing his family’s Wehrmacht memorabilia and looted pieces of gold to attend to other matters.

Posted on 9/12/18 | 12:06 AM CET

Hrvoje Horvat

This vote against Hungary means end of EPP. After next election ina May 2019 EPP certenly will not be major party in EU Parliament and Weber will not become president of EU commission.

Posted on 9/12/18 | 6:00 AM CET

contango one

if in order to implement the article 7 for whatever its worth n whatever it means a unanimous vote will be required eventually, which is not gonna happen, what is the point of this circus with the prelim vote n the 2/3 majority needed etc

for the main stream politicians to convince themselves that they are politically correct?